Helping the displaced in Jowhar get back on their feet

Towards the end of 2013, Jowhar, the capital of the Middle Shabelle region of Somalia, was ravaged by heavy rains resulting in extensive flooding. Thousands of people were displaced, property destroyed and crop and livestock washed away by the ranging floods.

On top of this natural disaster, sporadic clashes between different clans intensified in November, leaving thousands more displaced.

With the number of internally displaced people steadily increasing and the level of food insecurity heightening, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) stepped in to restore the lost source of livelihood. DRC gave farming tools to over 750 deserving families. The tools will enable them produce food and get back on their feet.

The benefiting families were drawn from a farming community that had lost the means to work their land. With no means of earning a living, they were becoming more and more vulnerable.

Each family received a spade, shovel, fork, wheelbarrow and a water jerry can. With these tools, the families are now ready to go back to their farming area with the hope of cultivating during the next rainy season.

With the support of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) also distributed housing material and utensils to almost 1 000 families of displaced people living in Jowhar. In addition, over 420 families who are unable to fend for themselves, will receive further help in the form of cash transfers.

ECHO is keen on ensuring that the displaced people in Somalia, which are among the most vulnerable, receive the necessary support to survive or to enable them to return to their villages or resettle safely and rebuild their lives.

In 2013, ECHO gave €46.6 million in humanitarian assistance to the people of Somalia, part of which goes towards finding durable solutions for the approximately 1.1 million displaced people. One of the Commission’s priorities in 2014 is to further assist those willing to return to their homes or resettle in different parts of the country.

Translated by Abdullahi Abdisalan; adapted by Martin Karimi Original text in Somali, Danish Refugee Council /Allbanaadir.com